Internal Worms?

d00dy · May 13, 2024

My Sailfin started pooping out clumps of stringy things last week... almost looked like chaeto (mostly green). I also noticed him getting skinnier (but he still ate). I had some prazipro at the house so I treated the tank on Friday. All weekend he started hiding, but came out to eat and I made sure to feed him a lot. Today, he is looking a lot better and swimming around but I noticed the clumps again and decided to take pictures. Could someone tell me if this is worms? Will Prazipro work for this, or should I get something else? I planned to do a second treatment on Wednesday. I haven't noticed this on any of the other fish in the tank. Thanks.

Jekyl · May 13, 2024

Some Helpful Hints When Posting or Responding to Threads in the Fish Disease Treatment and Diagnosis Section

Aquarium Fish Disease Problem Solving Determining the best course of action for a problem with your aquarium can be a difficult task. Even advanced aquarists will often need to seek the help of others for complicated or unique issues. Our intent here on Reef 2 Reef is to offer expert advice...

www.reef2reef.com

vetteguy53081 · May 13, 2024

d00dy said:
My Sailfin started pooping out clumps of stringy things last week... almost looked like chaeto (mostly green). I also noticed him getting skinnier (but he still ate). I had some prazipro at the house so I treated the tank on Friday. All weekend he started hiding, but came out to eat and I made sure to feed him a lot. Today, he is looking a lot better and swimming around but I noticed the clumps again and decided to take pictures. Could someone tell me if this is worms? Will Prazipro work for this, or should I get something else? I planned to do a second treatment on Wednesday. I haven't noticed this on any of the other fish in the tank. Thanks.

Please repost under white light intensity. It appears to be worms and would be Piscicolidae Worms which are rare to see and similar to round worms or intestinal worms but need more light to identify clearly

d00dy · May 13, 2024

vetteguy53081 said:
Please repost under white light intensity. It appears to be worms and would be Piscicolidae Worms which are rare to see and similar to round worms or intestinal worms but need more light to identify clearly

Yeah, these were just quick phone pictures. I got out the DSLR to take better photos but they were already gone... I figured I would go ahead and post the crapy pictures anways.

If I see it again, I will post more pictures.

vetteguy53081 · May 13, 2024

d00dy said:
Yeah, these were just quick photo pictures. I got out the DSLR to take better photos but they were already gone... I figured I would go ahead and post the crapy pictures anways.

If I see it again, I will post more pictures.

other that just crossed my mind is algae strips when expelled may look like worms

Jay Hemdal · May 13, 2024

The most common cause of this is undigested algae. Have you added chaeto or anything to its diet?

Prazi only helps with tapeworms and flukes, it does not treat other types of worms.

Generally, parasitic worms stay inside the fish, as they die without their host, so they don’t want to leave.

d00dy · May 27, 2024

So, this guy was acting a lot better, but is acting strange again. This time he has what looks like a ball or something in his stomache and is hiding. I noticed today, one of his sides has some red spots, maybe bacteria infection? When I feed him, he is super slow and almost acts blind or something... In other words he doesn't really seem to know where the food is and misses it sometimes.

Nothing has really changed in my tank, I haven't added any fish in a long time.

Here is a video of him as well.

Jay Hemdal · May 27, 2024

d00dy said:
So, this guy was acting a lot better, but is acting strange again. This time he has what looks like a ball or something in his stomache and is hiding. I noticed today, one of his sides has some red spots, maybe bacteria infection? When I feed him, he is super slow and almost acts blind or something... In other words he doesn't really seem to know where the food is and misses it sometimes.

Nothing has really changed in my tank, I haven't added any fish in a long time.

Here is a video of him as well.

Weird - the video shows the fish’s belly to be thin, but there is swelling above that. I don’t know what would account for that, perhaps a tumor.

d00dy · May 29, 2024

Yesterday the redish spot went away, but it is back today. The lump? is still there. He is still not eatting much, if at all. What should I do to try to encourage him to eat? I tried garlic, but still doesn't seem interested. I don't have access to a QT.

Jay Hemdal · May 30, 2024

d00dy said:
Yesterday the redish spot went away, but it is back today. The lump? is still there. He is still not eatting much, if at all. What should I do to try to encourage him to eat? I tried garlic, but still doesn't seem interested. I don't have access to a QT.

Garlic is overrated as a feeding enticement if the reason for a fish not eating is being caused by some disease.

If it is eating SOMETHING, just keep trying the foods it favors the most, multiple times a day, but avoiding uneaten food building up in the tank.

d00dy · Jun 5, 2024

Update: Thursday & Friday I tried to feed Metroplex and Kanaplex be he wasn't eatting ANYTHING. I had to go out of town for the weekend so I figured to try prazipro again as a last resort since he seemed to improve after the first time for a short while. I fully expected him to not be swimming when I got back in town on Sunday. To my suprise he was still kicking but a little slow. I did a waterchange and tried Metroplex / Kanaplex again and he did eat a little. It was weird, he would attempt to eat the food but would just kind of stay in the same position with his mouth open for a few seconds, then spit the food out, then eat it. He did this multiple times. Fast forward to today, he is swimming all around and somewhat pigged out on the medicated food again today. Still has a pinched stomach, but the weird bump / red spots are no longer visible.

d00dy · Jun 15, 2024

So I still need some advice on what I should try here... This guy is eatting but is still looking really thin.. His poops are still coming out in clumps (is this normal?).

Jay Hemdal · Jun 15, 2024

d00dy said:
So I still need some advice on what I should try here... This guy is eatting but is still looking really thin.. His poops are still coming out in clumps (is this normal?).

It seems to have gotten a LOT thinner in the past two weeks. Are you feeding it multiple times a day, as much as it will eat?
Did you ever try praziquantel on it?

d00dy · Jun 16, 2024

Yeah thats the weird part, I feed him frozen 2x a day and there is an autofeeder for dry food. I have been feeding kanaplex / metroplex ever other day also for the past week or so... the only thing that seems to have any affect on him is Prazipro so far... I have done it 2x and he has gotten noticably better after both times... I will look into praziquantel.

Jay Hemdal · Jun 16, 2024

d00dy said:
Yeah thats the weird part, I feed him frozen 2x a day and there is an autofeeder for dry food. I have been feeding kanaplex / metroplex ever other day also for the past week or so... the only thing that seems to have any affect on him is Prazipro so far... I have done it 2x and he has gotten noticably better after both times... I will look into praziquantel.

Up the feedings to 4 or more times per day. Small amounts, but keep feeding it as long as it is still taking food in at each session.

Stop the kanamycin and metro in the food unless you are dosing it correctly! If your dose is too low, there would be no benefit and if you dose too high, kanaplex is toxic and metro is so bitter that fish won’t eat it.
If you aren’t weighing the food and medication on a gram scale, and then estimating the weight of the fish, you can’t get the dose right.